Ethan Siegel#Blog

Siegel was born to "a Jewish postal worker"{{cite web|url=http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/author/esiegel/|title=Starts With A Bang|work=ScienceBlogs|access-date=4 January 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106154018/https://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/author/esiegel/|archive-date=6 January 2017}} and grew up in the Bronx, where he attended Bronx High School of Science until 1996. Siegel graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. degree in physics, classics and integrated science in 2000, and went on to earn his Ph.D. degree in astrophysics from the University of Florida in 2006.

Siegel worked at Fermilab in 1997.{{cite web|url=http://www.phys.ufl.edu/siegel/ISP/index.html|title=The Topsy-Turvy World of Ethan Siegel|date=1998|accessdate=January 5, 2017}} He received his undergraduate degree in physics, classics and integrated science from Northwestern University in June 2000.{{cite web|url=http://www.physics.northwestern.edu/undergraduate/graduate-program-placement.html|title=Graduate program placement|work=Department of Physics, Northwestern}} He was unsure whether to continue studying and took the GRE Physics Test "just in case". He taught in high school in Houston and at King Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science in inner-city Los Angeles for a year and though he "liked some aspects" of teaching he then decided he did not want to teach any longer, had a crisis and, influenced by Carl Sagan's Cosmos,{{cite web|url=https://www.macobserver.com/tmo/podcast/tmo-background-mode-interview-with-astrophysicist-dr-ethan-siegel|title=TMO Background Mode: Interview With Astrophysicist Dr. Ethan Siegel

|work=The Mac Observer|first=John|last=Martellaro|date=June 6, 2016}} he went back into academia to study the universe.

He studied theoretical cosmology, in particular cosmological perturbation theory,{{cite web|url=http://www.phys.ufl.edu/siegel/research.html|title=Research|last=Siegel|first=Ethan|date=January 10, 2007|work=University of Florida|accessdate=January 5, 2017}} at graduate school at the University of Florida with advisor Prof. Jim Fry from 2001. He received his PhD in 2006.{{cite web|url=http://www.phys.ufl.edu/siegel/oldpage.html|title=Homepage of Ethan Siegel|work=University of Florida|date=August 29, 2005|accessdate=January 5, 2017}} During his graduate studies he was a teaching assistant and lecturer in physics, he sat on the graduate student affairs committee, and he was an assistant coordinator for REU students.{{cite web|url=http://www.phys.ufl.edu/siegel/interests.html|title=Career interests|last=Siegel|first=Ethan|work=University of Florida|date=January 10, 2007|accessdate=January 5, 2017}}

Siegel was a teaching assistant in undergraduate general physics at the University of Wisconsin in Spring 2007 {{cite web|url=http://www.physics.wisc.edu/undergrads/tas-s2007/103.html|title=Department of Physics Teaching Assistants|work=University of Wisconsin|date=2007|accessdate=January 7, 2017}} and then took up a post-doctoral research post at the University of Arizona. In 2008, Siegel moved with his then fiancée to Portland, Oregon, after deciding to not pursue an ambitious research career with long hours and instead focus on science outreach and have a "fuller, richer life". He taught at the University of Portland and then Lewis & Clark College, where he was a visiting assistant professor.{{cite web|url=http://www.lclark.edu/live/files/6173-cas-catalogfacultypdf|title=Faculty|work=Lewis and Clark College|date=2010|accessdate=January 5, 2017}} He later became science and health editor for Trapit.{{cite news|url=http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/17822-where-are-all-of-portlands-bright-ideas|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411012040/http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/17822-where-are-all-of-portlands-bright-ideas|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 11, 2016|title=Where are all of Portland's bright ideas?|last=Korn|first=Peter|date=January 4, 2012|work=Portland Tribune}} He moved to Toledo, Washington, in late 2014, while continuing to occasionally teach at Lewis & Clark. He became a full-time self-employed science writer in May 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.patreon.com/posts/sharing-todays-18742917|title=Sharing today's big milestone|last=Siegel|first=Ethan|work=Patreon|date=May 11, 2018}}

In December 2015 Siegel published his popular science book Beyond the Galaxy: How Humanity Looked Beyond Our Milky Way and Discovered the Entire Universe with World Scientific, which he said is for "people who are curious and intelligent but don’t have scientific backgrounds". In the book, Siegel critiques the MOND theory of gravity, arguing "its failure to meet the criteria of reproducing the successes of the already-established leading theory means that it has not yet risen to the status of scientifically viable."{{cite news|url=http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2016/05/do_we_need_to_rewrite_general_relativity.html|title=Do We Need to Revise General Relativity?|last=Pomeroy|first=Ross|work=RealClearScience|date=May 20, 2016|accessdate=January 5, 2017}} Greg Laden compared it to Isaac Asimov's "The Intelligent Man's Guide to the Physical Sciences", physicist Sabine Hossenfelder said it "is the missing link between cosmology textbooks and popular science articles",{{cite web|url=http://backreaction.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/book-review-beyond-galaxy-by-ethan.html|title=Book review: "Beyond the Galaxy" by Ethan Siegel|last=Hossenfelder|first=Sabine|work=Backreaction|date=December 31, 2015|accessdate=January 5, 2017}} and PhD student Jonah Miller said it is "one of those rare books that not only communicates scientific ideas, but communicates what science itself is all about."{{cite web|url=http://www.thephysicsmill.com/2015/12/12/book-review-beyond-the-galaxy/|title=Book review: Beyond the Galaxy|last=Miller|first=Jonah|work=The Physics Mill|date=December 12, 2015|accessdate=January 5, 2017}}

In 2012 and 2015, he was the Science Guest of Honor and toastmaster at MidSouthCon,{{cite web|url=http://midsouthcon.org/midsouthcon-30/|title=MidSouthCon30|work=MidSouthCon|accessdate=January 3, 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://midsouthcon.org/midsouthcon-33/|title=MidSouthCon33|work=MidSouthCon|accessdate=January 3, 2017}} where he promoted the joy of science.{{cite news|url=http://archive.commercialappeal.com/entertainment/movies/far-out-fantasy--sci-fi-celebrated-at-midsouthcon-ep-997088048-324220891.html|title=Far Out!: Fantasy & sci-fi celebrated at MidSouthCon

|last=Beifuss|first=John|date=March 20, 2015|work=Memphis Commercial Appeal|accessdate=January 5, 2017}} In April 2017, he was the Science Guest of Honor at Norwescon 40.{{cite web|url=http://www.norwescon.org/2016/04/17/nwc40-science-guest-of-honor-dr-ethan-siegel/|title=NWC40 Science Guest of Honor: Dr. Ethan Siegel|work=Norwescon|date=April 17, 2016|accessdate=January 2, 2017}} Siegel wears costumes such as a wrestler or superhero to attract attention to his science communication.{{cite web|url=http://ikonokast.com/2016/05/26/bang-dark-matter-dark-energy-illuminated-ethan-siegel/|title=There was a bang - Ethan Siegel convinces us that dark matter is real|date=May 26, 2016|last=Haubrich|first=Mike|work=Ikonokast|access-date=December 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104163013/http://ikonokast.com/2016/05/26/bang-dark-matter-dark-energy-illuminated-ethan-siegel/|archive-date=January 4, 2017|url-status=dead}}

{{quote box|align=right|width=25%|bgcolor=#c6dbf7|quote="The Universe is out there, waiting for you to discover it."|source=— Starts With a Bang tagline{{cite news|url=https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/201610/blog.cfm|title=Virtual Think Tanks: Physicists Who Blog

|work=APS News|date=October 2016|last=Gaal|first=Rachel|accessdate=January 2, 2017}}}}

Siegel's blog Starts With a Bang started in January 2008 at startswithabang.com{{cite web|url=http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2008/01/17/hello-world-2/|title= Setting up for the blogosphere|last=Siegel|first=Ethan|date=January 17, 2008|work=Starts With a Bang|accessdate=January 5, 2017}} and then ScienceBlogs from March 2009 to October 2017.{{cite web|url=https://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2009/03/31/welcome-to-starts-with-a-bang/|title=Welcome to Starts With A Bang!|date=March 31, 2009|work=Starts With a Bang|publisher=ScienceBlogs|accessdate=January 5, 2017}} The blog included a monthly podcast and Siegel posts answers to questions from readers in the "Ask Ethan" series. He hosted guest bloggers, including Sabine Hossenfelder and Paul Halpern. Topics he covered include adaptive optics, using lasers in astronomy to adjust for atmospheric turbulence, the detection of gravitational waves from colliding black holes by LIGO, and why quantum entanglement does not allow faster-than-light communication. By January 2011, his blog had been viewed 2 million times.{{cite web|url=https://www.lclark.edu/live/news/9841-whiz-bang-blog|title=Whiz Bang Blog|work=The Chronicle Magazine|publisher=Lewis and Clark College|date=January 18, 2017|accessdate=January 7, 2017}}

Described as "beautifully illustrated and full of humour", his blog won the 2010 Physics.org award for best blog, judged by Adam Rutherford, Alom Shaha, Gia Milinovich, Hayley Birch, Lata Sahonta, and Stuart Clark and the people's choice award,{{citation |url=http://www.physics.org/featuredetail.asp?id=52|title=The physics.org web awards

|date=2010|work=physics.org|accessdate=January 2, 2017}} and his post "Where Is Everybody?" came third in the 2011 3 Quarks Daily science writing awards, judged by Lisa Randall, winning a "Charm Quark" for "[taking] on the challenge of simplifying probability estimates without sacrificing the nature of the enterprise or suppressing the uncertainties involved".{{cite web|url=http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2011/06/the-winners-of-the-3-quarks-daily-2011-science-prize.html|last=Raza|first=S. Abbas|work=3 Quarks Daily|title=The Winners of the 3 Quarks Daily 2011 Science Prize|date=June 20, 2011|accessdate=January 2, 2017}}

Siegel headed the RealClearScience list of top science bloggers in 2013, as his "unmatched ability to describe the nearly indecipherable made him an easy choice for #1."{{cite web|url=http://www.realclearscience.com/lists/top_10_science_bloggers/1_ethan_siegel.html|title=Top 10 Science Bloggers|work=RealClearScience|date=April 25, 2013|accessdate=January 2, 2017}} Siegel also wrote a column for NASA, The Space Place. He continues to contribute content on Forbes website.

Siegel first published in physics in 2003, working mainly on dark matter and structure formation.{{cite web|url=http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-abs_connect?db_key=AST&db_key=PHY&db_key=PRE&sim_query=YES&ned_query=YES&aut_logic=OR&obj_logic=OR&author=siegel%2C+Ethan+R&object=&start_mon=&start_year=2003&end_mon=&end_year=2020&ttl_logic=OR&title=&txt_logic=OR&text=&nr_to_return=100&start_nr=1&jou_pick=ALL&ref_stems=&data_and=ALL&group_and=ALL&start_entry_day=&start_entry_mon=&start_entry_year=&end_entry_day=&end_entry_mon=&end_entry_year=&min_score=&sort=SCORE&data_type=SHORT&aut_syn=YES&ttl_syn=YES&txt_syn=YES&aut_wt=1.0&obj_wt=1.0&ttl_wt=0.3&txt_wt=3.0&aut_wgt=YES&obj_wgt=YES&ttl_wgt=YES&txt_wgt=YES&ttl_sco=YES&txt_sco=YES&version=1|title=Astrophysics Publication Database|publisher=Harvard}} Significant works include:

• {{cite book|url=https://inspirehep.net/record/1402457/files/siegel_e.pdf|title=Cosmological perturbations and their effects on the universe|last=Siegel|first=Ethan R.|publisher=University of Florida|date=2006}}
• {{cite journal|title=Nonlinear Structure Formation and the Acoustic Scale|first1=Hee-Jong|last1=Seo|first2=Ethan R.|last2=Siegel|first3=Daniel J.|last3=Eisenstein|first4=Martin|last4=White|date=2008|journal=The Astrophysical Journal|volume=686|issue=1|pages = 13–24|doi=10.1086/589921|arxiv=0805.0117|bibcode=2008ApJ...686...13S|s2cid=14105853}}
• {{cite book|title=Beyond the Galaxy: How Humanity Looked Beyond Our Milky Way and Discovered the Entire Universe|publisher=World Scientific|date=December 2015|isbn=978-981-4667-23-4|doi=10.1142/9547|last1=Siegel|first1=Ethan}}
• {{cite book|url=https://www.quartoknows.com/books/9780760352632/Treknology.html|title=Treknology: The Science of Star Trek from Tricorders to Warp Drive|publisher=Voyageur Press|date=October 15, 2017|isbn=9780760352632}}

Siegel also writes articles beyond astrophysics. For example, following the publication of Science article by prominent US and UK researchers advocating for further investigation of the Wuhan Institute of Virology,{{cite web|url=https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/03/18/1021030/coronavirus-leak-wuhan-lab-scientists-conspiracy/|title=Did the coronavirus leak from a lab? These scientists say we shouldn't rule it out.}} Siegel advocates that Covid-19 did not come from Chinese labs.* {{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2021/05/20/no-science-clearly-shows-that-covid-19-wasnt-leaked-from-a-wuhan-lab/?sh=218a1fc55585|title=No, Science Clearly Shows That COVID-19 Wasn't Leaked From A Wuhan Lab|website=Forbes}}

Siegel met his wife in Madison, Wisconsin. He has a large beard and moustache and wears a kilt;{{cite news|url=https://chronline.com/stories/toledo-astrophysicist-publishes-book-exploring-the-universe,55021|title=Toledo astrophysicist publishes book exploring the universe|first=Kaylee|last=Osowski|work=Chronicle|date=May 1, 2016}} he entered the West Coast Beard and Mustache competition in Portland in 2011.{{cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/mobile/document/57772038/8-Features-2-4|title=All About Beards, Mustaches and Chops|last=Fenley|first=Marissa|work=The Pioneer Log|date=February 4, 2011|accessdate=January 10, 2017}} He is "often asked why he doesn’t look like a scientist". Siegel is Jewish and has described himself as an atheist while simultaneously believing that "there likely was some organizing force or principle that somehow led to the existence of the state that eventually created the Universe as we know it today".{{cite web|url=http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2011/08/07/weekend-diversion-opening-up-a/|title=Weekend Diversion: Opening up about religion and beliefs|last=Siegel|first=Ethan|date=August 7, 2011|work=Starts With a Bang|accessdate=January 4, 2017}} He plays online chess{{cite web|url=http://m.gameknot.com/stats.pl?ethansiegel|title=Chessplayer ethansiegel|work=Gamesknot|accessdate=January 5, 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2008/01/21/first-question/|title=First question!|last=Siegel|first=Ethan|date=2008|work=Starts With a Bang|accessdate=January 5, 2017}} and is a fan of My Little Pony.{{cite news|url=http://archive.commercialappeal.com/entertainment/festivals/sci-fi-fans-to-flock-to-34th-midsouthcon-2e08344f-8e31-633b-e053-0100007f8b9d-372450811.html|title=Sci-fi fans to flock to 34th MidSouthCon

|last=Beifuss|first=John|date=March 17, 2015|work=Memphis Commercial Appeal|accessdate=January 5, 2017}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.phys.ufl.edu/siegel/index.html Website at the University of Florida (from 2007)]
• [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010APS..MAR.S1156M Publication record] on the High-Energy Physics Literature Database
• [https://www.forbes.com/sites/ethansiegel/ Contributor profile] at Forbes.com
• [https://soundcloud.com/ethan-siegel-172073460/ Starts With a Bang monthly podcasts]
• [https://www.youtube.com/user/ethansiegel Ethan Siegel YouTube Channel]

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